This invention relates generally to the field of guards used to protect exposed corners, legs, posts or the like, and more particularly to such guards having shock-absorbing properties and which are magnetically mounted to the structure being protected.
The use of bumper guard to protect exposed structural components from accidental damage, such as for example the corners, posts or legs of storage shelves or racks found in warehouses and the like, is well known. Such shelves or racks are often accidentally damaged by hand trucks and forklifts used to move goods within the warehouse, often requiring that the shelves be unloaded for repair or replacement. The guards are sometimes permanently mounted to the structure being protected, such as with mechanical fasteners, straps or adhesives, while others are mounted in a manner which allows the guard to be more quickly released, such as by providing the guard with a pressure-fit or snap-on configuration, or with the use of magnets, when the structure is composed of a suitable metal. Some guards are relatively thin and non-resilient, such that marring of the protected structure is prevented, but possess no shock-absorbing or force-deflecting properties.
It is an object of this invention to provide a magnetic bumper guard of an improved design, such that the guard prevents surface damage to the protected structure, is easily installed, has shock-absorbing and force-deflecting characteristics due to its material of composition and its structural design, and which readily detaches from the protected structure in response to angled or lateral force, such that the force is not transferred directly into the protected structure.